There are approximately 50,000 active pumping wells in Western Canada of which approximately 9,000 operate with rotary pumps and the vast majority of the remainder using beam pumps of which approximately 10,000 are high volume lift pumps.
These high volume beam pumps are commonly afflicted with a severe tubing wear problem due to frictional contact between the pump sucker rod and the inner surface of the tubing which ultimately causes tubing perforations, leakage and the need for expensive tubing repairs and/or replacement. In the case of rotary pumps, the problem can be even more severe where the sucker rod rotates within the tubing string at rates of 250 to 600 rpm and where torque from the rotating rod string can actually over-torque the tubing string couplings to cause a complete tubing failure.
Production tubing is normally simply non-rotatably suspended in the well bore from a conventional tubing hanger. However, if the production tubing is suspended rotatably in the well, the problem of rod-to-tubing wear and over-torquing can be substantially alleviated. By periodically rotating the tubing, rod wear in the string is spread evenly around its inner circumference to prolong tubing life and reduce workover costs. Rotatable suspension of the string will also relieve torque buildup associated with rotary pumps particularly when turning at high rpm for pumping heavy concentrations of viscous sand, water and heavy oil mixtures.
While providing these and other advantages, the present system also enhances the well operator's ability to comply with subsisting legislation requiring that during well completions, servicing or reconditioning, the well must be under control and blowout preventers must be installed and maintained to shut down any flow from the well. The present anchoring system is adapted to remain in place attached to the tubing string while the well head is removed and the service rig blowout preventer is installed so that a plug can be installed into the tubing string after the pump rod has been removed to shut off all flow. This plug can be installed through the well head prior to its removal so that the flow is stopped as the service rig blowout preventer is installed.